Promettre
by MrDukeDumas
Summary: Named victor of Heavens Feel 5, Shirou Emiya is now a profitable 'asset' to the Mage's Association. Still living with his heroic ideals, he desperately clings to the path of righteouness. But a political power struggle within the Clock Tower, a faceless syndicate, and a resurrected dark god have only tainted that path. Now a new path has been illuminated. The path of the antihero.
1. Prelude

**Enjoy and Review.**

_What constitutes a legend? Is it the hero who martyrs himself for the sake of his ideals? Is it the villain who bloodies his hands crimson red for a lost cause? Or is it the chance meeting of the two forces? _

_What is good? What is evil? In all legends, everything is a simple matter of perception. One cannot be aligned as good if not for evil and one cannot be aligned as evil if not for good. Thus, everything is truly one and the same. _

_This too is such a legend. And like all legends, it has an ending. But to establish an ending, one must first witness the point of origin. The beginning to all circumstantial events that shall be played out in the future._

_This is the prelude of an untold legend._

* * *

**PRELUDE**

* * *

"_**Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone."**_

He was born for one purpose and one purpose only. To fight in a war in which he had no stakes in for himself. Not born, but 'created' for this task in which his father had bestowed upon him.

"_**The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg."**_

The Holy Grail War of Fuyuki. A battle between seven mage's and seven heroic spirits contracted to each other for the sake of the omnipotent wish granting device known as 'The Holy Grail.' It was his family lifelong dream to hold its power in their hand. But that is all it was, his family dream, not his own.

"_**The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked that leads to the kingdom circulate."**_

"My child, do not fright at this glorious opportunity I have given you. You have been gifted to retrieve the very artifact our family desperately tried to restore for centuries. It is an honor and should be seen as such."

"_**Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Repeat every five times."**_

An honor is what he called it. The 'glorious' opportunity to risk his own life for a 'gift' that would please only his family. But he at once knew no better. He too had once thought their dream as his own. He thought by granting their happiness it would in return grant his happiness.

"_**Simply, shatter once filled."**_

The logic found only by a newborn baby.

"_**-I announce."**_

And after months and months of preparations beforehand, and years and years of patience, he would finally prove his worth. The long sixty year window had been closed. The Great Grail had retained enough mana and a new war of Fuyuki had at long last, start anew.

"_**Your self is under me, my fate (doom) is in your sword."**_

The joy he had seen on his father's face was unlike any other he had seen before. "My child, fate itself shall test you. It is a test unlike any other. You will put your life and our dream in a scale against six other, and you will be victorious. If there is any single Master capable enough of claiming the grail, it is you. You are my aspirations. You will make me proud."

"_**In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."**_

"The preparations have been made." His father informed his lost child without facing him. His voice and posture as cold as cooled steel. "The Heroic Spirit you will summon forth is unique. It is a life unlike anything the other Masters is capable of summoning. Now make haste to the ceremonial hall and…" He averted his gaze from a window that hindered his sight because of the snow that plagued the outside of his castle and brought his eyes to a young boy who looked to be no older than sixteen. "Prove your worth to me."

"_**Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."**_

The child brought his right palm to his heart and clenched his chest as he bowed mercifully for his father.

He hated his father. He hated his sickening gaze as if whatever he would look upon was unworthy of his sight. A vile man who never even once held his son in his arms. In his state of cowardice, all he could do is but acknowledge the man. Acknowledge the fact that in his father's eyes, he was worthless.

"I shall, my king."

"_**You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!"**_

The summoning circle roared as it illuminated every corner of the hall. In the middle of the heat, he pulled a ceremonial dagger entrusted to him and sliced open his palm and bled into the circle. His sore body ached as he desperately clenched his right forearm to bring the spirit into existence. Every inch of him begging and pleading at the pain to stop the ritual but he continued the incantation.

"_**Alas, he who bears the sin of man, allow me image to grant thee life. Use thy vision to observe I as the one only capable of bringing you shape. Thou shall engrave his existence onto my flesh as I breathe and provide proof of your power -!"**_

At that instant, the light that had enveloped the hall had turned to darkness. His stomach turned as the ground beneath rattled without end. Fear, panic and sorrow had each buried their fingers into his soul.

Overwhelming, it was too much for any man to bare singlehandedly. The screams, cries, laughter, moans, fear, anger, and pain filled him up without end as if he were some empty vessel for hell itself. Was that what this was? Did he just tear open a hole to oblivion? Did the underworld truly exist?

Cold sweat dripped down from his forehead as every hair on his body stood. He was an artificial man created not one year ago who shared no knowledge of life. He was never taught to have fun. He was never taught to love. He was never taught to live. Yet, even in the absence of knowledge, for the first time in life he had finally been taught a valuable lesson.

**TERROR.**

He was afraid of the very life he himself had brought into the world and just wished the terror to stop. Finally, he grew the courage to be a coward and shut his eyes closed to the madness. But, to his surprise, the moment that he did, it grew quiet, too quiet. Quiet enough to hear a water drop from the ceiling onto the floor a distance away.

Is it over? Had the nightmare finally ended?

He slowly regained his composure and opened his eye lids. He examined the room only to find everything was just as it was. Not a single hair out of place except… for the black mass that lay beneath him.

The ritual must have worked as he was sure what he summoned was the same spirit his father sought but what laid in the magic circle looked like nothing he had ever laid his eyes on before. Black and shapeless, it was as big as a torso with no key features. It was puzzling to him, was this the same spirit that caused all of that madness a moment before? Confused, he slowly bent very and gave the mass a closer examine.

It showed no sign of life. He pulled away to recollect his thoughts. From what his father described the spirit to be, he had imagined it to be an all-powerful, all knowing deity of some sort. But the yielded results proved otherwise. He pulled closer once again and pressed his right hand against it. His sense of touch had felt the squishy feeling of water and lard. But it was warm not cold. Was it alive? And as if to answer his question…

"!?"

He felt it. He was positive he felt it. A smaller hand half the size of his own had pressed itself against his. The ritual was a success. Overjoyed, he dropped the dagger and pressed his other hand against the mass. Once more, he felt the pressure of another small hand against his. Delighted, he was happy that someone of his caliber was capable enough to complete a summoning ritual. But more than that, he was happy that he was one step closer to claiming the Holy Grail for his father. He would at last, prove his existence of a better worth than that his father had made him out to be. But, as if it had felt the teens overjoy, the hands had retracted them back from within.

Confused, the Master pulled his hands away. A minute had lapsed before finally the black mass had once more pushed its hands through and stretched the outer layer. But different from before, it seem to desperately want to get out as it clawed at the outer layer of what resembled to be like black skin. Realizing this, the young teen grabbed the ceremonial dagger and slit an opening not two inches long. A line of red liquid slowly dripped down but that was the only movement he witnessed. He waited patiently for it to make some kind of sign but for moments did nothing. Until, it finally pushed its fingers through the slit and slowly started to pull sideways.

The drops of red liquid poured out in pints as it pulled with all its strength with its small and smooth baby like fingers until it finally stretched out an opening wide enough to reveal it from within the sack. Its Master took no time to catch a peek at what it was he had summoned only to find one thing. The nightmare never ended.

What is that? What is that!?

Once more, an overwhelming terror had entrapped him. What he had given life was no heroic spirit, far from it. At the moment, he had finally knew what it was he had summoned. If hell did in fact exist… then this was without a doubt the devil itself_. __**And **__**as it grew hungry, the new born shriek of Satan echoed throughout the castle.**_

_**On this day, evil was born.**_

**XXXXX**

_December 24, 20XX_

_It's been about a week since I've written anything so I'm feeling a little restless. Today, all around the world, people are celebrating Christmas Eve. I'm a little envious of them because unfortunately I'm on duty. I can only imagine all the fun that they're having. The beautiful lights, the hot chocolate, the nice cooled atmosphere and of course the Christmas tree! It brings back nice memories way back when I was raised in the orphanage. We would all gather around the tree and Father Eladio would read us stories from the Bible. Time was simpler when you're a child. Today is also the same day I was scouted by the Vatican one year later after that. It was when I learned of my rare condition. I remember how frightened I was whenever the Priests would throw out the name. They called it __**Masochistic pneumatic automatism diathesis**__. Whenever my body is in range of evil, I experience pain unlike any other. The Vatican used this gift of mine to track evil to perform exorcisms. It's kind of awe inspiring whenever I think about it… In one day, my life ascended from worthless to precious. It makes me think what kind of life would have been waiting for me if I had decided to stay at the orphanage… But I never dwindle on it for too long. I love what I do, saving lives. Nothing brings me more joy than the smiles of those I had rescued. It's a feeling I would never give up even for the world. And look at me now, several years and hundreds of exorcisms later, I've finally been given my first solo task as lead exorcist. It's a little nerve wrecking but a lot of my friends say I have it in me. Ciel too had offered her words of appraisement! The church even offered me an assistant. Her name is Charlotte. She's cute but can be clumsy as times. I just hope this job doesn't take its toll on her. Well, I best be off. It's nice to write down what I'm feeling every once in a while but I have a job to do. We should be arriving in about an hour but the way this storm been drifting, it might take a lot longer than expected._

Just then, two distinct knocks were made outside of her door. The door knob twist and the door pushed cracked open just enough for a voice to seep through. "Excuse me Madam. I'm coming in." A young female with short brown hair with light skin covered in black walks in stiffly. "Madam Ortensia, we will be reaching the destination shortly. I recommend making preparations for docking." Her words were as stiff as her movement.

Caren Ortensia, a young long gray haired woman with bright yellow eyes to accompany her overall beauty, an unnatural combination that has only fueled the mysterious air that had enveloped her. Atop her bed and Dressed in a night gown, she smiled sweetly for her assistant. "Thank you Charlotte."

"N-No problem Madam, sorry to disturb you." Her tough exterior she had worked oh so hard to achieve had broken apart with just three words. "Excuse me Madam!" Blushing, she walked out and closed the door behind her.

A slight giggle escapes the lips of Caren. She found her assistant to be quite adorable in these kinds of moments. She stared at the door a second longer before returning her attention to her diary. She picks up her pen and continues to write:

_I'll be sure not to misplace the trust my friends have endowed me. I'll give it everything that I have._

With that, she finished her thoughts and closed her diary. [Better get ready.] She stood up from off her bed and opened her dresser in her rather small room. "Hmm, I Think I'll go with black today."

Giggling at the fact that her dresses only consisted of black, she then pulled off her gown. A beautiful body, her lightened skin tone complemented her entire wardrobe and she was fairly confident in her figure as well. She had no shame as it showed how comfortable she was in her own skin. The only distraught to her beauty were the bandages that covered her legs and arms. A small price to pay she would say if it meant helping others.

She slipped into the black dress with ease and puts her hair into a simple bun. She then put her head through a white wimple to cover her neck and loosened her bun, dropping her long gray hair and covering it with a veil. Turning to a near mirror, she examines her figure and grins. [Hey, there's no sin looking good for work!... or is there?] Curiously, she puts her hand under her chin, seriously giving the question its much 'needed attention' while reaching for the door knob. But before given the opportunity to open it, she stumbles back and forth, back and forth before falling on her bottom. "Ouch!" She yelps. It takes no more than a second to pull herself up. While rubbing her bottom, she opens the door.

"Madam Ortensia!" Waiting outside was none other than her trusty assistant, Charlotte. "The storm is getting worse by the minute and the ship is getting hit by the full front of it!" She was forced to yell at her superior over the noise of the storm.

"I'll be okay! Don't worry! Oh, and call me Caren!" She brushed off the danger excitedly.

Charlotte sighed. "Then at least take this Madam!" She reached for a tan colored purse draped over her shoulder and unzipped. Taking a few moments, she pulls out a purple parasol before erecting it and handing it over.

"Thank you!" She proceeded to cower under it with a bright smile.

"N-No problem Madam!" She replied embarrassed. "I-It's so strange! The closer we get to the destination, the worst the storm gets!" She informed.

"Really now?" As if learning a dirty secret that just had to be exposed, she began making her way to the bow of the ship.

"Madam! Where are you going? Madam Ortensia!" It's the duty of the employee to follow the employers example. She proceeded to follow cautiously, but mostly out of fear.

After what had felt like a millennium tip toeing, she finally made it to Caren. She made it, but only to find her madam standing atop of the rail, holding onto a pole with just one arm. "M-M-Madam Ortensia!" With a mad sprint, she leaps and grabs hold her Madams leg for her dear life. "Ortensia! Get down this Instant!"

"Charlotte! Isn't this a beautiful view?"

"Of what!? Death!?

The vast blue sea so full of life looked to be nothing more than a black endless abyss. For a second, it looked to be that the ship was riding the waves of space. It would of felt romantic if it weren't so violent. The loud roar of thunder was only complemented by the crackling strikes of lightning, and the storm was only getting worse by the minute. It must have been seen as a hopeless voyage until the destination was in sight. At the end of this journey, a small island.

"That's it…" Caren muffled her voice.

From the distance, it looked to be a plain island. But, one should note the mysteries surrounding it.

"Hey Charlotte, do you believe in the rumors?"

"You mean about it being a breeding ground for demons? My lord, I sure hope not!" She used her free hand to do the sign of the cross.

"But if that were true… my body would have some kind of reaction…" She whispered to herself.

"Miss Ortensia… maybe we should return back. I'm not feeling too well about this job."

"I'm sorry; we can't turn back now when we are so close."

"Please don't apologize for my cowardice Madam. It's just… I don't know. This storm… it feels like an omen."

[An omen…] "I wouldn't call it an omen… I'd say more like a message."

"…A message Madam? What kind of message?" Charlotte's curiosity got the better of her.

"Can't you tell? The message is loud and clear!" She looks down at her assistant with her bright yellow eyes. Charlotte, still holding onto her leg, gave off a look of dismay and awaited her answer. Caren smiled graciously for her frightened assistant and spoke. The sound of thunder can be heard in the distance.

"Go away."

**-1 Year Later-**

"_In today's news, a father of two was murdered by what is said to be a unknown asailant."_

[How could this have happen?…]

"_Sources say that when the suspect asked Mr. Rogers for his wallet, he failed to comply with him, it was then that the man stabbed him 32 times."_

[Why now of all times?…]

"_The wife's victim has chosen to speak out on this horrendous act."_

[No, this is the right choice… for everyone.]

"_I would just like an answer to why he would do this to him...huff huff… my husband was loved by everyone in the community.. H-he never did no harm to anyone… I j- just don't understand why." _

[I just don't understand…why is he rushing things?]

"_Police are looking for a man said to be in his 20's or 30's, possibly homeless, and wearing clothes all in black. If you have any information what so ever, please contact the nearest police stat-"_

By the push of a button, the report was cut short thanks to a unknown assailant. The blond man, with shoulder length hair, examined the suspect with his blue eyes. The brunette woman, clothed in the finest clothes money could buy, looked to be displeased, tapping the back of the remote with her fingers.

"You told us to pack up and get ready and yet here you are spacing out,"

The handsome looking man stared at her dumbstruck and did nothing for a whole minute. Then, as if the switch to his brain just turned on, he stood up, off from his pure leather chair and started to get dress. "Sorry… my head wasn't in the right place." He laughs casually while he put his arm through a long sleeve white button up shirt.

The man's wife stared at him, frightened at the fact she didn't know why they were packing up in the first place. "So… can you tell what this is about?"

"We're leaving."

"Yeah, I got that much… but why?"

He exhaled all his pent up air, "It's not safe here anymore..." While finishing buttoning up his last button, he quickly glanced at her, and found her shocked.

"What's happening Vick?" She asked.

"I…. honesty don't know. I don't know what's going to happen…" He replied calmly. He took in a deep breath before gently grabbing her shoulders. "Listen… take the money and the kids to a safe location. You tell no one where you're going and just-" Before being able to finish his sentence, he was cut off by his head of security, Eddie Madds.

"Victor, I received word that the jets fuel is filled. It's ready for takeoff at any moment."

"I see.. Thank you Eddie."

"No problem." Eddie lets himself out. As he walks out, the blond, blue eyed Russian sighs.

"I bet your regretting ever getting married to me huh, Maria?"

"Never." She took no time to reply. "I will never regret our marriage. Victor Petchenko." She softly puts her hand on his cheek. "You are the father of our two beautiful children. I will never regret marrying you."

"… Maria….. I love you…."

"And I love you." She pinches his cheek. A small laugh escapes from his lips.

"Oh that reminds me.." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small tiny box. " I was going to wait till our anniversary… but here." He opens the box revealing a shiny platinum banded diamond ring.

"Oh Victor! It's beautiful… and so big!" She replied in awe. "But… I won't accept it..."

"Maria?"

"Insurance… that is what it would be." She smiles.

"Insurance?" He asks.

"That's right. Insurance that you will return to me."

An emotional breakdown is what anyone would call it. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. With tears pouring out of his eyes, he refused to ever let go. "Thank you… so much." He releases his grip of her only for her to get her own on him. "No…thank you."

Knock - knock- knock.

Three bangs outside the door way are made before Eddie walks in.

"I'm sorry to disturb… but we better get going."

"I understand…" He turns to his wife one final time." After you Madam."

**-Outside-**

Two guards open the front entrance to the mansion as Victor and Maria made their way out of it. Waiting for them was a limousine and two patrol cars.

"Dad!"

"Daddy!'

Before having any time to react, both of his children leaped and held onto each one of his legs. Pulling and crying, they buried their faces into his pants.

"Jacob, Meryl, what is it?"

"They said you weren't coming with us dad, is that true?"

"Daddy don't leave us…"

"You guys…" He crouches down to their level before wrapping each arm around them. "Don't worry…. I won't be gone long. Listen, daddy has some work to take care of. It's very important so daddy can't call in sick today. But, after I'm done with it, I'll find you guys and we could all go anywhere you like." The children backed away from their father to give themselves time to wipe their tears away.

"Do... Do you promise?" Asked Meryl.

"Pinky promise." He smiled while holding out his pinky. His daughter smiled innocently before wrapping her pinky around his.

"You can't break your promise now!"

"I would never!" He laughs while gently patting her head. He reaches out and pulls in Jacob. " Listen little man, I need you to be strong ok? It will take a while but I'll find you guys so you're going to have to be the man of the house, alright?" Jacobs nose still running; he nods his head and accepts the responsibility. "That's good…" He picks both of them up, each with one arm, and makes his way to the limo. The chauffeur opens the car door as Victor carries each child into their seats. He kisses each on the forehead before closing the door, and caught his own gaze on the window's reflection. The tinted window stared back at him… as if showing him his true nature; black.

"Victor…" His wife Maria pats him on the shoulder, breaking his train of thought. "Well… I'll see you later?" She asked.

"Yeah…" He leans in halfway for her to go the rest. Gently kissing one another, she stops and walks into the limo, not turning back once. He smiles at the back of her head as closes the door behind her. With that, the chauffeur starts the ignition and takes off. But, as they are driving away, Victor managed to catch his daughter's last words.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

His daughters' last word destroyed him in the inside. He walked towards the car but stopped in front of Eddie.

"We'll take the yacht.."

"Alright." The head of security replied.

**-30 Minutes Out-**

[When you're in a vehicle… everything seems to go by so fast.]

Staring out the window in the back seat, Victor thought long and hard about his actions. The car was now driving by the coast and the ocean looked beautiful, mesmerizing. As if everything was going to be okay.

"Eddie…"

"Yeah?" Eddie turned from his position on the passenger seat and faced Victor. "What's up."

Victor still staring out into the ocean. "How much time do we have before the church arrives?"

"I'd say about another 30 minutes." He pulled down his sleeve to get a glance at his Rolex.

"I see…" His eyes were fixed to the 'outside' where everyone's problem seemed obsolete. "Eddie…. Do you share in our ambition?"

"!" Eddie, whose position was still towards Victor, was surprised at the sudden question. "…. honestly… I'm a little skeptical. I'm not quite sure if I share in their ambition…. But I do have something I believe in." The dark skinned, crew cut man smiled at his boss. "I'll believe in you."

Victor, dumbstruck by his employee's answer, finally made eye contact with the man.

"Besides, it wouldn't look good that your only childhood friend decided to up and leave now." Eddie laughed.

"….ha-ha yeah, I guess you're right." A smile rubbed across his face, something that would seem impossible if it hadn't been his best friend. "Thank you."

"Yeah! Don't worry about a thing." He turned back around and started messing with the stereo. "How about we play some music? This atmosphere is a little gloomy ha-ha." He started flipping through stations only to realize the island was incapable of picking up any radio waves until finally he found one.

"_That's right! It's time for the greatest classics in history! How about we get this show started by taking it back. That's right, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata."_

"Shit. Whatever this is better than nothing I guess." Eddie sighed.

Victor, once again staring out the window, felt at ease. The piano was soothing. He closed his eyes and let the music envelop him. All his pains were slowly subsiding and finally put to rest. He was at peace.

"Sir…"

"What is it?" Eddie asked the driver only to find him staring hard into the distance causing him to do the same. "Strange… hey Victor... Are there any natives on this island?"

"No, it's uninhabited."

"FUCK! MOVE!" Eddie's intense yell felt like blades to the ears.

The driver yanked the vehicle as hard left as he could, shifting everyone in the vehicle to do the same. The car smashed into the rails hard but was still intact. Victor still looking out the window, caught glimpse of what they had just avoided. A flash of white light, like a lightning strike that had just barely grazed their vehicle. Unfortunately, the security vehicle following their own wasn't so lucky. On impact, the lightning caused the vehicle to erupt and explode. The force of the impact caused the vehicle to flip forward multiple times in an ignited mess of metal. The vehicle fell over the rails and over the cliff. Four men just lost their lives.

"SHIT!" Eddie yelled at the top of his lungs. "We have to turn ba-" His order to the driver was cut short due to finding him already dead. Two black metallic arrows pierced into the drivers' throat and eye. "VICTOR HOLD ON!"

His last words that managed to escape before the car flipped over on itself. It skidded across the ground a good 10 yards before finally slowing down and coming to a stop. The back tires still rolling. The headlights still on. Moonlight Sonata still playing.

"Aughh!" A voice smeared in pain lets out a cry. "Fuck…uhhh..fuck…" The passenger door manages to break open and a bloodied Eddie crawls his way out. Dragging blood across a whole good yard, he manages to turn himself up for a self-inspection. He was in pretty good shape considering the accident he was just in. The damage was minimal; glass shards in his right wrist and face. He continued his inspection to his lower body and found a disturbing scene. His knee was pointing in one direction and his foot in another. "Fuc- awww…aww.. Huff-puff." He closed his eyes for a second to try and forget the horrendous situation he was in but no matter how hard he tried, the pain grounded him into reality… until he open his eyes. His sense of pain was misplaced by fear. Towering above him was a man clad in black; a black sweater with the hood on, black pants, black gloves, black shoes. The only notable difference was the white plain mask he wore across his face. He was fear.

His eyes wide open, hands shaking uncontrollably, cold sweat running down his neck; Eddie was terrified. The man didn't say a word or move a single muscle he just stared at him. Stared at him with those lifeless eyes.

[I-I-I'm going to die! Move damn it! Move DAMN IT!]

No matter how hard he tried to get up, he couldn't. He was simply petrified.

[I don't want to die!]

And then it hit him… he still had his Glock in his holster. Slowly, he began pushing his hand towards his firearm. But, as if the assassin read his mind, he squinted his eyes at him. That was all he needed to do to Eddie to stop him. The man slowly reached into his pocket… and pulled a small dagger. Eddie gasped in fear… he was going to die.

[Wait!] The man slowly examined the blade.

[Stop!] He flipped the blade around in his palm.

[Please!] He stared at Eddie one last time before… taking one step further.

"AHHHH!" Eddie cowered his head into his arms. He took another step closer. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step. Then another step…. The final strike never came.

The steps now sounded distant to Eddie.

[Why am I still alive?]

Eddie, now curious, turned his body from his position to observe the assassin… only to find his real target. The assassin reached for the back door of the car and swung the door open.

"VICTOR! GET OUT OF THERE!" Eddie cried out for his best friend.

The assassin ducked his head into the vehicle… only to find that the back seat was empty.

"I'm right here."

The assassin slowly followed the voice with his head before doing the same with his body, only to lead it behind him.

"Victor….." Eddie whispered.

The Russian father was shirtless and barefoot but was miraculously unharmed from the accident. He was a well fit man and judging from his composure, he wasn't afraid of the mysterious assassin. He brought his hands behind him.

"Tell me… who are you?"

The Russian directed his question to the assassin and not to his surprise, he didn't answer. Of course, that didn't matter at the moment. What mattered to the father of two at this moment was the diamond ring he held in his hands.

"What do you want from me? Tell me why are you here? Who are you?" Victor asked again. Truly not caring for the answer, he used his right thumb and index finger to pinch at the platinum band around the diamond.

"I should at least know the reason why I'm being directed…" After about a minute squeezing the band, it finally broke off. The diamond fell onto his left hand and he clenched it as tight as he could.

"Belial…"

"!?" The assassin spoke and his one word spoke more value than any of his actions. "Who the hell are you!"

Victor's reaction to the name was all the assassin needed. Taking no time to strike, he threw two daggers at blinding speed at the Russian.

"Victor Watch Out!"

_Shink Shink_

But, in one swoop of his left arm, both blades we're destroyed on impact. The father held out his left arm and to the assassins surprise, from his fingertips to his elbow, took on the dazzling form of pure carbon; diamond. But, the assassin regained his composure as he concealed his hands behind him. Not wasting any time, Victor dropped to his knees and smashed his right fist down into the asphalt, inhaling… before finally exhaling-

**"**_**Armor Hyde!"**_

The mantra he chanted served as a catalyst to his specific skill set of mage craft. As if he gave life to the inorganic asphalt, it slowly began to work its way over his entire body. Crawling and spreading, it looked almost insect like. But, a metamorphosis such as this takes time… and the assassin let him have as much as he needed. The armor cask finally enveloped his entire body leaving no skin exposed. From the very top of his head, to the very tip to his toes, he was secured. He dropped his weight to his knees and took on a boxing stance. Pushing his fists against each other, he placed his hands in front of his face. The Peek-a-Boo boxing style; a perfect form of defense and offense. But for Victor, it added a little extra 'insurance.'

"I guess you stay true to your name sake…Belial… demon king of the earth…" The assassin spoke out of the Russian who looked to be more monster than human. But, the father didn't let the words affect him, instead he tightened his stance, diamond fist and asphalt skin, he was ready for battle.

"So you can speak, huh? Here I thought you were a mute. If you can speak then tell me, what do you want from me?"

"Obvious, your life." The assassin lowered his guard.

"Why?"

"Because, I dislike you…" He slowly moved his hands to his sweater pocket.

[Is that truly a reason to kill?]

"Who are you?"

"...a ghost." Once again, he pulled out two daggers and threw them at his opponent at blinding speed.

[Reinforcement?]

Once more, the assassins attack proved futile as they were disarrayed by Victor's diamond fist. But, it was nothing more than a front. The assassin closed the distance between the two in milliseconds, a feat only furthering guaranteeing his accusations that the man is using some form of reinforcement. But the assassin worked faster than the Russians' thought process as he immediately concealed his hands behind him before pulling out two 60cm _kodachis (small katanas). _Taking no time to go on the offense, he spun his entire body around in a 360-degree motion yielding all of its benefits using reinforcement. Fortunately, it came too short as it was guarded by Victors asphalt right arm.

_Pow!_

Pushing forward with the two blades still grazing against his arm, the well trained Russian used the opportunity that was given to him to throw in a counter diamond fisted hook into the assassins ribcage. The sounds of bones crunching was all he needed to hear to exert himself into the offensive playing field. Fist after fist, punch after punch, in a full-fledged barrage, Victor took no time to let himself off even for a second. He had to end things now. Unfortunately, his opponent was no light weight. Every fist Victor managed to throw, the assassin avoided it all by the skin of his teeth.

[Damn it! Come on!]

Strike after strike, his barrage was all for naught. But Victor would not give the assassin an opportunity to attack.

[Fool… your just going to tire yourself out]

To the mysterious man, it was only a matter of time before Victor dropped his guard. Hell, the only real threat he had to be aware of was his diamond fist. But that was easily avoided with just the simple tap with his _kodachi, _as it threw his posture out of proportion. Only a matter of time until, as he expected. Victor started slowing down. Not to the assassins surprise, Victors attack grew slower by the minute as the fatigue started kicking in and his face only certified that fatigue. His barrage grew slow to the point that his fist projections were easily calculated by the assassin. To the point till finally, an opportunity showed itself to the killer. An exposed breast. Taking no time with this new found knowledge, the assassin rushed in with his blades in hand. Thrusting under his armored fist, he pushed forward with all his weight, only to catch the smirk of the Russian.

[I have you]

"Aughh!" The killer squinted in pain not realizing he just played into the Russian's hand. A surprise attack not from above but from below. A power kick that pushed into the killers abdomen left him paralyzed as he stumbled backwards.

In reality, Victors 'barrage' was nothing more than a ruse to drop the killers guard. By keeping the fight above the chest, the killer assumed he knew the father's fighting prowess and longevity. And thus, simply slowing down each strike would cause the killer to believe he was out of steam. A simple plan of attack. But Victor took no time to revel in the moment as his next attack would be the deciding finisher. He lunged close giving no time for the man to recover, brought his right knee forward and pushed back on his left leg, his elbow was as far back as he could bring it, and his diamond left fist was tightly clenched. All that was left was the execution and it was perfect. The left straight cross; the perfect counter was indeed flawless… until it missed.

[NO! IMPOSSIBLE!]

To the Russians surprise, all the assassin did to avoid the death blow was bend backwards. But, it was not just as a simple act as it is depicted. While stumbling back from the Russians lunged kick, the assassin anticipated the next blow. Using the back handle of one of the swords, he pressed it against his spine and fell backwards with his knees still locked. He fell as far back as he could until the _kodachi_ pierced the ground, locking his strained position in place. His entire weight was supported on one blade. This was an assassin of the highest caliber. And with such a powerful attack from the Russian, all the more it meant what defense that had to be sacrificed for it. And it did, an exposed jaw revealed itself to the killer. Using whatever weight that he could muster into the strike, the masked man lunged his second blade with his free arm straight into the exposed weakness. Like a full fledged base ball swing, the fathers head whip lashed back and forth, cracking and shattering his face armor. His face is now fully exposed. Thus, his life is now in danger.

Throwing himself back while pulling the blade out of the ground, the masked man regained his composure. But, the father of two did not. In a violent barrage, the Russian rushed forward as before throwing fists as fast as whips. But, unlike before, this barrage is more desperate. With an exposed face, it was only a matter of time before a critical strike was delivered. So, the only way he knew how to prevent it was to stay on the offense and keep him defending. With that mindset, he continued his barrage. He punched left, the man dodged right. He punched right, the man dodged left. He threw in a roundhouse kick only for it to be dodged under. Unfortunately, the barrage yielded the same results as before. Until finally…

_Smack_

"!" Without realizing it, the masked man's back smacked into the guard rails. Like a boxer against the ropes, he was cornered. The Russian used this opportunity to his advantage with a powerful left straight with enough force the dent in the rails… but that was all it did. Once more, the assassin avoided the skull crushing blow but with just inches this time. More luck than skill.

"HUAAAA!" With a roar, the Russian skidded his diamond fist against the rails and towards the killers face, an attack that proved effective.

"UHH!" The assassin took the power attack with enough force to crack his reinforced mask. With blood filling up in his mouth, he jumped away to distance himself. But, it was all for naught as the Russian immediately closed in on him. Once more raising his stance into a Peek-a-Boo, he brought his right leg as high up that he could before setting it loose downwards towards his opponents' head. Just centimeters away from his skull, he barely managed to pull out and dodge back before he was gruesomely murdered. But, as he landed onto the ground he immediately felt something odd. The ground shook menacingly below him before he realized what it was that he felt. The sudden surge of mana beneath him.

[SHIT!] A seven foot asphalt ground spike erected from under, just barely tearing into his body. He once more escaped certain death by avoiding backwards in time to receive the bare minimum of damage.

But, the attack didn't end. Victor rushed forward as fast as his situation allowed him to and swung forward his asphalted right fist into the spike. He plunged his fist deep, giving off an electrical discharge. All in the matter of milliseconds, the spike changed shape and form into a giant sculptured fist. And with the fierce extend of his right arm, the fist took off. Like a canon that had just blew up, the fist pushed forward faster than a bullet. Faster than the time the masked man had to recover from the Russians' previous attack. He was going to take the hit head on. But, this was an assassin of the highest caliber.

Thinking on his feet, he jumped backwards upon immediately landing, trying to lead himself into the fierce attack to soften the blow. He brought both of his _kodachis_ in front of him forming an 'X' formation to provide a stronger reinforced guard for the cannon ball heading towards his chest. And finally, he inhaled oxygen into his lungs and tightened all of his muscles to embrace the soon to be impact. All the precautions he could take… proved meaningless.

All in milliseconds; the fist ran through the blades like a knife to butter. The man immediately brought his hands forward to push himself against the fist but it was too fast to counter or avoid. The force and velocity caved his hands into his chest and propelled him back 5 whole yards before finally he plummeted into the hard asphalt. The fight was over. And the battle was won. Unknown to the assassin, Victor had a trump card that he played since the very beginning. The Peek-a-Boo style not only was a perfect form of offense and defense but it added an extra bonus. The concealment of his mouth. Throughout the course of the battle, the stance hid his mouth behind his fists, allowing him to chant his mantra to activate his mage craft. Thus, he was able to catch the assassin off guard and win victory over him.

Victor took no time celebrating as he once more took his battle stance. He waited and waited for the man to get back up… but he never did. The battle was truly over.

"Shit… he really did it." Eddie was in awe at the events that had just transpired but victor wasn't so convinced. He slowly and cautiously made his way toward the immobile assassin. Both his fists still clenched, sweat running down his exposed face, the Russian hovered above the paralyzed man. He gave him a quick kick to the ribs to see if he was playing faint… but no sound was made. The assassin was dead.

Victor exhaled all his pent up air and took a moment to regain his composure. A small chuckle escaped his breath as he reveled in the fact that he actually made it out alive. It was almost as if just a moment ago, he wasn't in a full-fledged battle to the death. He exhaled once more before turning his attention to the dead killer. And then he was hit by curiosity. What was he after? Who was he? How did he know of me? A multitude of questions filled his head and all could easily be answered with just the revelation of his face. He bent over and reached out for the white mask. He pulled it off and with eyes wide opened in disbelief… he found his answer. The bloodied grin of a ghost.

"Aughh!" Just then, a substance of blood and saliva entered his eyes, blinding him for just a moment. But the moment was just all the assassin needed. Lying on the ground, he brought his left hand to his mouth and bit the tip of his middle finger, pulling off his glove with his teeth. Taking no second more, he slammed his opened palm into the Russians' exposed face. All the effort, just to push him back 1 foot.

[I've had it!] In a rage, the father clenched his diamond fist for the last time and pulled his elbow back as far as he could. The assassin lay back down, too tired to move, and awaited his execution. The execution that never came.

"!" As if time itself had just stopped, the fathers' fist never made the last extension for the strike. With eyes wide open, he was in full aware that he was immobile.

[How? How is this possible?] As if it were the answer to his question, he heard the assassin whisper a noise. A very faint chuckle.

"Looks like I've won…" Those were the words he muttered as he stood up from off the ground and proceeded to wipe the dirt off his clothes. Victor followed him with his eyes as the assassin began to stretch his shoulders. Until finally he stopped, and gave the father one long look. He raised his right index finger and simply tapped the Russians diamond fist. In that moment, his entire Armor Hyde cracked like a mirror and fell to the ground like shattered glass. Victor gasped in disbelief.

"Did you know… that the average human body is composed of 0.008% of iron? That's 2.5 grams… sounds insignificant I know." He covered his head once more with his hood. "But mind you, that's 2.5 grams from head…" He pointed upwards. "To toe…" He pointed downwards.

"What did you do to me?" Victor asked.

"I killed you." The assassin shrugged. "You see… I know all about you Belial." He picked his mask up from off the ground and covered his face with it. "A Russian Father of two children who happen to bear your late parents name. A brunette wife of whom you've met 10 years ago in Costa Rica… I believe your anniversary is next week correct? An AB negative blood type. The list goes on and on… but none of that stuff interests me…" He paused. "What does interest me however is your Origin. To 'adapt' to any situation…I got to say that's pretty rare. Heh… I was a little skeptical at first too… but when I saw you walk out that car unscathed… well that only reassured me. A magus of the Estray are the only ones foolish enough to tamper with their bodies. And awakening an Origin is really a double edged sword." He spoke as if he learned from experience. "So tell me… do you know what happens when an awakened origin comes into contact with another origin? And that origin just so happens to be 'sword.' Simple… your body tries to adapt to it." His voice dropped menacingly, "And I'm in full control of my swords…"

"AUGHHHHH!" With the simple motion of the assassin clenching his left hand, the father dropped to his knees, bearing his hands into his chest at the intense pain. It felt as if his innards were being pulled out by tweezers. "As we speak... an unlimited number of blades are being produced inside of you..." He tightened his fist tighter.

"YOU! Ughhh! You, you're a man of justice are you not?"

"I am."

"Then why do you work against us! Do you have any idea what we want? Do you have any idea what we are fighting for?!"

"World Peace…"

Victor was astounded that he had already knew the answer.

"…A child's' dream…"

_Bang Bang_

The sounds of a pistol go off in the distance.

"You son of a bitch!" Eddie, fully standing, screams as he points his glock at the assassin, firing another two rounds.

_Bang Bang_

Unfortunately, all the bullets miss their target due to his disarray. But, even with it, he's determined to help his friend. Firing round after round after round and missing each shot, he finally reaches the end of his clip. "Shit!" He yells as he reaches for another. But, the assassin had other plans.

His clenched left fist still pointing downwards at Belial, he raises his right hand and mutters the words: "Trace on." In a glittery form of bright light, a small dagger appeared in his hand. Taking no time, he swung his arm like a whip and flung the dagger. Eddie slapped the clip in, pulled back the slide, and took aim… only for him to drop it. Without realizing, the dagger had already pierced his forehead and halfway deep into his brain. Stumbling back and forward, he face planted into the asphalt, pushing the rest of the blade through the back of his skull. Victor could only hear his best friends demise.

"Eddie…" His words getting heavy and his breathing getting heavier, Victor knew this was his end. He... Was going to die…

"…Tell me…. Do you have any last words?…"

[Last Words…] His last words. His last thoughts. His last breath of air. It was all coming to an end. His last words? What words could fit in this kind of situation? He thought long and hard on what they could be… until finally it hit him. A memory.

[I remember…. The first time I met Maria… She was so shy and humble… it took me a whole month to try to get her out on a date with me… eventually.. We made love for the first time… It was then that I decided to ask for her hand… I remember… she told me I made her the 'happiest woman alive'…. and then.. Five years later, she had twins… Jacob and Meryl…. Their so beautiful… just like her. They are always so kind and gentle… I remember their birth… I held each one in my hand… so small… and I remember… them.. smiling when I held them… My last words…]

With tears rolling down from his eyes, he knew his final words.

"Tell my family I-…..."

His last words were never spoken.

With a simple open of his left palm, he was dead. Like a grenade had just went off inside of him, a burst of swords pierced out of every inch of flesh. A bloody mess from head to toe. A porcupine murdered by its own quills.

_Drip Drop_

"…"

Without speaking, he walked over to the mangled body and crouched beside him. Still like a doll, he pulled off his mask and laid it upon his victims face. This was the evidence he left of his existence for the world to find. He processed no thoughts and only absorbed the conclusion of his actions.

He was alone once again. A great sin had been committed.

_Tell me… are you contempt?_

He dropped his head down as if he were depressed. "No."

_Drip Drop_

_Do you feel pride in what you've done?_

He opened his hands and stared at them. "No."

_Drip Drop_

_Do you feel anything?_

He clenched both of his fists. "I feel NOTHING!"

_Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop_

It was rain. It was pouring. It was as if god had watched this dirty act and tried to wash it clean.

He held out his hands and let the water pour over him as if he were imagining he were baptized in death.

This is what he had become. This was his peace. This was his **justice**.

**XXXXX**

"_Breaking News: World renowned billionaire and founder of Victory Corp, Victor Petchenko, was found dead in his own private island. A mask was found on his corpse in what makes him the 7__th__ victim of a unknown serial killer. The entire story later._

_In other news, Watch out! It's a bird! It's a Plane! It's Super dog! Watch how this little pup managed to pull this cat out of the sewers. All this and more at 10._

* * *

**MrDukeDumas:** I guess I'd start by saying that this is a remake of a remake of what was originally known as Fate/Genesis. At the time I didn't realize that there was a RP going around using the same name so I scrapped the name. Promettre is the French word meaning "to promise" in case you didn't know. As you can see I'm going for something dark. If there is anything I'd compare it too I think like a crossover of the dark knight meets god father. I'm really trying to personify that hero motif in this fan fics. For people who had previously followed, I'm sorry for starting over again but I really don't want to rush into anything. I also receive a lot of questions so I will use the rest of the Chapter to answer them.

**#1. Is this about a holy grail war? **Sorry to say, no it is not. I know fans love to guess the servants identities but this isn't about a grail war. I came up with something totally original that ties in with the Fate universe. Hopefully, if I can adequately write my thoughts onto paper, it will be something unique with all the other fics.

**#2 What route does this follow? **This follows the anime version of FSN. I know what your thinking, WHY? For the very interactions that people hate it for which are; Archer using UBW and the Sakura filler. Also the FSN anime is the best route for me to build upon. UBW Shirou becomes this incorruptible figure where HF is just a Masterpiece and should be left alone.

**#3 Will this be a dark Fan Fic?** Of course! I'm looking to do something dark like FZ was. I know I can't be too dark because I'm using FSN characters that aren't as 'mature' as FZ characters were but I will be going the whole nine miles.

**#4 Pairings?** I get asked this a lot. Yes there will be pairings but for Shirou I'm going down the harem route. But don't worry; I plan on making it as realistic as possible. I even came up with the perfect analogy for it.

**#5 Canon or AU? **I will try my hardest to keep this as Canon as possible but since there aren't too many 'future' Fan Fics I think I'll be okay. It will have characters from HF and HA with my little spin on them. In a sense, it is AU as I don't see HA as a true sequel but I could be wrong because I never played it. It will also contain a LOAD of OC so be prepared for that.

**#6 Rated M? **I plan on taking full advantage of the M rating. Expect language, sex, gore and violence. Lemons will be included.

That's about it. I plan on making the battles epic and the drama… well dramatic. If you have a question feel free to PM me about anything. I also have a few stupid polls and a thread if your into that sort of thing.

Well thanks for giving my FIC a chance and if you enjoyed it, hopefully I can update soon.

**MrDukeDumas Out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Ally of Justice

**Enjoy and Review.**

_A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men. - Plato_

* * *

**ALLY OF JUSTICE**

* * *

**-5 Months Prior-**

_As I close my eyes and fall asleep, I dream. This dream has become a common occurrence now, in fact it's the only dream I've been having at all. In this world that I have dreamed up, I'm a ghost. A ghost incapable of interacting with others and a ghost incapable of being acknowledged by others. Therefore, the only power I bare is the power to observe the world silently. And that's exactly what I do._

_This world always begins the same. A bright light. A devastating fire. A scorched city. And a child. The boy was left alone in a desolated land and in absolute fear. Every distance he would stare out into would only reassure him that he was in hell. With no destination, no help, no hope, he began moving his legs. Everywhere where he would walk, he was reminded of the hell he was in. Survivors threw their hands out begging, pleading, and crying for the boy to be their hero and pull them out of this tragedy, but he does nothing. Instead, he covers his ears with his hands and weeps. Afraid to even look at his surroundings, the boy was truly incapable of helping another, even if it were possible for him to save them._

_Eventually, the exhaustion had caught up to his small body and falls to the dirt. Fatigued, he closed his eyes. I can hear his thoughts as if they were my own._

_Why did this happen? Who is to blame? I'm afraid. Am… I going to die here?_

_A multitude of questions had formed into his small mind, each incapable of answering himself. _

_Was this his last day on this planet? Was he going to die before even truly experiencing the joys of life?_

_He lay silently and still. It was as if he had given up on his short lived life. He had accepted his death as his fate._

_**But Fate had foreseen a different future.**_

_He did not desire death, what child does? No, he wanted to live._

_His small body had already given into the fatigue but his desire for life was impeccable. The small drops of rain smacked him in his face as if telling him to RISE. He mustered whatever strength he held within him and raised his right hand to the sky._

_Help me. Help me!_

_He begged to the heavens to rescue him. He begged for a divine spirit to pull him out of the fiery pits of hell and raise him to salvation. And as if god himself had heard his thoughts as prayer, he had sent the child an angel. _

"_You're alive… You're alive… You're alive!"_

_I remember that face. It was a man, tears in his eyes, and joy in his heart at finding someone still alive. He seemed so happy. Almost as if he, not the child, was the one who'd been saved on this day._

"_Thank you." The last words the child managed to hear the angel speak before falling unconscious. His hand still firmly gripped by the angel._

_**This world… is not my own. However similar… and familiar.**_

_Then, the world jumps forward to a point of time I cannot comprehend. The rescued boy of the past is now a fully grown man. Hair as white as snow, skin as dark as night, armored in red, he prays. On his knees with hands intertwined, he prays to god._

_**Only it isn't truly god.**_

_He's in tears. What could leave a man such as this in tears? Then, as if god had answered his prayers once more, a ray of bright light broke through the clouds and shined upon him. I could feel it. His worries, his pains, his sufferings, it had all subsided._

_At the exact moment he notices me, the ghost. His sharpened gaze was like a sword that had pierced my soul. With dried tears, he speaks. No sounds were made… but his words were as bright as day._

_Wake up, Shirou_.

**-Awake-**

"Shirou, wake up already."

Two birds gliding under the serene blue sky was what the familiar voice woke the twenty year old boy up too. It was a beautiful sight but he was unfortunately not given any time to enjoy the spectacle.

"Are you up?"

Not answering, the boy shifted his body up and scratched his eyes with his palms. He yawned, "I'm up, I'm up…" before he laid onto his chest in a prone position. "Sorry, just rested my eyes a bit…"

"Well we're not paying you to sleep on the job now are we?"

"As if you're paying me a whole lot anyways." He retorted.

"That's not the point…" The familiar voice sighed through the ear piece. "Just concentrate at the task at hand would you?"

"I am."

The boy lets out a sigh before reaching into his blue duffel bag and pulls out a pair of binoculars. With it, he examines the parallel structure at the opposite end of his own. Two parking space structures stood tall from across the street from one another capable of holding 1000-3000 vehicles. They were equivalent in all matters; same size, same number of floors (five), same color (Grey), even the same number of cars that occupied the first two floors. But the true difference between the two was that one these structures had a highly trained Enforcer of the Mage's Association at the tip top floor of the building. A predator searching for his prey was what he was.

Unfortunately, the prey had never arrived.

He removed the binoculars from his eyes and rubbed his temples with his index and middle finger. The binoculars were unnecessary as he could easily have used his magecraft to examine from afar but if presented with an opportunity to preserve prana, he'd risk the eye strain for it.

"He still hasn't arrived. I don't think he's showing up."

"He'll be there. The Intel we receive from Atlas is always spot on."

"If you say so…"

The young Magus relaxed all of his muscles as he braced for what would be an all-nighter. But he immediately lost his composure when-

_BOOM!_

A bomb had exploded off in the distance.

"…."

He kept his mouth silent but was unable to do the same for his mind. The scream and yells of those who had been caught up within the blast echoed from far away and corroded his thoughts. The sounds of sirens and trebles were all too familiar to him as he too had felt the mayhem of war.

A war zone, that's what the tracking the target has led the young Magus, Shirou Emiya too. Somewhere within the Middle East, a racial conflict had sparked between the people of a minority and a majority. The two races were always at odds but they were never at each other's throats as they were now. And what had fueled this escalation to the point of war? Taxes. The majority felt 'obligated' to tax the minority for 'allowing' them to live within border lines. It was only a natural for them to point out this flaw and go out on a strike to ban this new law. But it had quickly evolved from a strike to a violent fight for rights when a man was murdered by a nationalist. Within months, thousands had lost their lives for what Shirou believed to be a ridiculous conflict over taxes. It was too much of an overwhelming sight for him.

The young Emiya sighed.

"I know you want to help… but it's not our conflict and it's not our war. Things will work themselves out eventually."

"Yeah and by that time thousands more would have died."

"Shirou… you can't rescue everyone."

Words like a jagged knife to the soul. Shirou grits his teeth but bears with it. In all honesty, the man was right. It's physically impossible to save every life that's in danger but that's what made the boy so unique. His beliefs to make the impossible, possible. Not a single living soul could make sense of his mindset. To others he was ridiculed as a joke or mentally insane. Even his closest of friends had a hard time understanding him. What would make one believe that the life of another is more important than your own? The tale of the black sheep.

"Hey Shirou, you okay?"

The boy let out a depressing sigh, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"So, has he arrived yet?"

Shirou takes a gander through his binoculars, "Nope, nothing. Oh wait… ha speak of the devil. I have eyes on Steiner. He just pulled in with 2 black SUV's with tinted windows. Still working on number of hostiles."

Dr. Kremlin Steiner, the target. A frail German man in his early eighties who honestly looked like he was in his sixties. Shoulder length gray hair, round spectacles and big blue eyes. It would almost seem impossible to believe he was dealing in under handed shady deals… almost. Until just three months ago, Dr. Steiner worked as an assistant to one of the 'Great Lords' of the Clock Tower. He was well paid, very respected, and held in the highest of honors. So what was a man of this caliber doing in the Middle East? Simple, money. After being denied a new budget for his research over and over, he was threatened to forfeit his work and to be sealed as a **hermit**. So, what is a hermit to do when he is denied a budget and is on the verge of something 'big?' He becomes a **philosopher **and starts selling secrets of the Clock Tower to any buyer who is interested. On the run, it was only a matter of time before he reappeared on the Association's radar and has them dispatch a enforcer to handle the issue. Unaware, that very enforcer was right across the street from him.

"What's happening Shirou?"

"They're driving up the structure."

The two SUV's led the way as a green Volkswagen followed from behind. They drove past the first two floors fully aware they were packed but continued past the empty third floor before coming to a stop on the fourth. It was normal protocol. You never want to be so low that you would be observed from below or on the highest floor to be observed from above. The two SUV's park close to one another whilst the Volkswagen parks a good distance away from them. Three men in sunglasses and black suits from one SUV exit while two from the other exit, all but one give the entire floor a closer examination. One off them glances over at Shirou direction and would of spotted him if he hadn't pulled his head full of red-brownish hair fast enough. With a signal from each man, the examination was over and the meeting could ensue. One guard signals Steiner for him to proceed. He immediately opens his door, walks out his vehicle and heads towards the trunk of the Volkswagen. He unlocks it and pulls out a briefcase before making his way to one of the men. But before he could hand it over, the main 'honcho' raises his hand at him signaling him to stop and nods his head at another guard. The guard takes the briefcase from Steiner and opens it for safety precautions. Sensing no danger, he takes the briefcase over to the head honcho in control of this meeting and lets him examine it.

"Is this all of it?" He asks while flipping through papers.

"Yeah it's all there." Steiner replies.

"…Alright." The man closes the briefcase and signals one of his men. The man opens the trunk of a SUV and pulls out a briefcase. He then hands it over to the Doctor.

"It's all here, correct?"

"Every last penny."

Steiner's eyes lit up at the phrase. The head honcho pulls off his sun glasses.

"I don't have to tell you that I was not here, do I?"

"No of course not. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"That's good to hear… but there's one problem with that."

Steiner had already started making his way to his vehicle before he noticed something was wrong with the briefcase he was given. He cracked it open only to find it empty.

"You haven't been keeping your mouth shut **Baalphegor**."

The unique word is what initially kept him still in place but what made drop the briefcase and shudder with fear was the sound of a handgun being pulled out of its holster.

"Turn around and face me doctor. I want to look in the eyes of a traitor who was willing to betray his own family."

In fear Steiner took the man's advice as he brought his hands up into the air. The sweat running down his face had stained his white button up shirt and it was obvious he was afraid. He was going to die the moment he met the man's gaze. But to his surprise, what he found was not death. No, instead what he found was the man who he had previously engaged in a conversation with was laid out on the floor, unconscious.

Not knowing what to make out of the situation, he felt a tap on his right shoe from something he had heard rolling on the ground. Quickly glancing down, what he had found was a black arrow only instead of a arrowhead, it was a small iron fist.

"What the hell?"

Just three words managed to escape the doctors' lips before being immobilized by an arrow with the same features as the previous. In agony he dropped like a fly, a fly that had just had its knee cap crushed. Panicking, the four still mobile guards aimed down their sights of their Berettas at the direction of fire.

_Tink Tink_

Two more iron fisted arrows fired at rapid speed from across the guards location, crashed into the face and chest of a guard. As he fell down immobilized, the three remaining guards fired their handguns in retaliation. Shirou ducked his head and crawled back to avoid being hit by their fire. He crawled back and back to the point where he reached the other end of the parking lot. He put his arm through the black bow and raised his body into a runner's stance. He chanted the words:

"_Trace on."_

_Structural Grasp Magecraft, _the only talent Shirou Emiya had as a Magus.

[_Begin synchronization._] He flipped the 'switch' to his Magic Circuits on. He felt the waves of magic like electricity.

[_Analyzing composite materials ._] In a brief second, he had scanned his entire body, outlining his existence as if he were a blueprint.

_[Reinforcing composite materials_.] The muscles in his legs and arms tingled at the response as they pushed to the very maximum and beyond.

[_All processes complete._] _Reinforcement Magecraft. _Although too many it is a very advanced magic, to the young enforcer it was a skill as easy as breathing. He who had a magic affinity for 'sword' understood the fundamentals for this craft. And as he was born as a 'sword,' it was all a simple matter of applying it to oneself. A sword given flesh and blood was what he was.

He inhaled oxygen into his reinforced muscles and as if he had imagined a gun firing into the air, he took off from his running stance. Leg after leg, pushing knee behind knee, he had already cracked 30mph. In a full sprint, he waited till his feet had touched the edge of the structure and jumped as high and as far that he could.

To the three still mobile hostiles, he looked to be a black blur that had just fired out of a canon. Two of the three stayed in place firing their Berettas at the blur while the third ran to the SUV, opened the door, and reached for an MP5. In midair, avoiding gun fire as best he could, Shirou wrapped his arms around his legs and braced for impact. Fortunately for him, he had a hostile to thank for softening his landing. With the speed and velocity to break every bone in that man's body, the enforcer immediately turned his attention to the closest hostile upon landing.

[_Begin projection.]_  
[_Determining creation ideology.] _He scanned his entire field of weapons he kept enclosed within his mind.  
[_Envisioning base core._] He found the blueprint most suitable for this scenario.  
[_Hypothesis completed. Voiding_.] _Gradation Air_, or more commonly referred to as _Projection_, is the Magecraft that materializes objects, in accordance to the caster's imagination, through the use of prana. A useless endeavor viewed as so by many but to the enforcer it was his greatest 'tool' at his disposal.

A wave of prana passed through his arms and into his palms as he bread life to the blueprint within his head. The prana shaped and took the form of two small throwing knives with blades 3 inches long.

_Bang Bang_

The hostile fired two rounds from his clip but missed thanks to the agonizing sharp pain that had just embedded themselves into both of his knees. He raised his gun at the boy once more, not even realizing that the knives were connected to a wire being held by the enforcer himself. With a current of prana, it swiftly traveled through the wire and into the knives. The prana then altered the 3 inch blades into a hook deep with the bone. The enforcer was going fishing. Like a piston, his reinforced arms yanked the wires as hard as he could and dragged across the floor. It looked like a comedy sketch where a man is dragged by a horse. As the guard hit the floor with his back, he raised his Beretta fast but the enforcer kicked it out of his hands faster. Then, with the support of his weight, he dropped his knee on the hostiles face breaking his nose in the process.

"One more." The enforcer whispered to himself.

He turned his attention to the last hostile only to find him slapping in a full clip for his MP5.

_Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang_

Firing round after round, he chased the enforcer with bullets. Shirou avoided the best he could and would have been hit if not for his reinforced legs. Running in an oval formation, he tried making movement closer to the last guard to finish him. But, being chased by bullets made _Tracing_ an impossible task. He ran and avoided until finally he witnessed an item to be used as an advantage. Dodge rolling, he grasped the firearm he had kicked out of the guard he had defeated just a moment ago and ejected the clip. He dodged patiently until finally a opportunity to strike showed itself.

_Click_

"Shit!"

Like music to the enforcers' ears, the man's cartridge was empty. He immediately dropped the clip and slapped in another but before he could even pull the slide back, the enforcer had chucked his firearm dead on right in between his eyes. He stumbled back but was kept from falling completely on his back thanks to the back support from the SUV. Now was the time to attack and the enforcer took no time meddling on that fact. He sprinted toward the confused man and held his hands out. A glittery form of bright like took shape and formed 2 Roman style short swords. Just then, the injured man managed to regain some mentality and take aim at the enforcer but was too late to pull the trigger. Shirou had already leaped and brought his 2 swords down with full force upon his shoulders, shattering his collar bones. He was down for the count.

Shirou exhaled his breath slowly as he regained his inner momentum. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm before giving a head count with his finger.

He pointed, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5… 5?

_Vroom! Vroom!_

All the men were accounted for except for the target himself, Dr. Steiner. Making his escape, he took off in the young man's direction, burning rubber as he did so. The enforcer quick drew the bow from around his arm and simultaneously created three arrows from thin air. He aimed the bow sideways and pulled the arrows back with the cord. In a millisecond, he altered the sharp tip into an iron sphere before firing them, igniting them forward with a burst of prana from behind.

_Tink Tink Tink_

The arrows cracked the windshield but didn't break. But it was anticipated to happen as it were no surprise for the young Magus. Instead he waited for the right opportunity to reveal itself and…

_Crash!_

The windshield caved in as the enforcer brought his entirety into the interior of the vehicle. Steiner was dumbstruck as two hands gripped him by the collar and threw him out of the vehicle like a rag doll. The doctor slowly and painfully started to crawls away as the enforcer exited through the busted up windshield.

"Damn dog of the Clock Tower! Who the hell do you think I am?!"

"…" Shirou cared little for what the doctor had to say. People usually say anything to get inside your head when you're out for them. He reached out and pulled the doctor up by his gray hair, giving him a good look of his face.

"You… your that Japanese boy…"

_Pow!_

This encounter was finally over after Steiner hit the cold had cement after receiving a reinforced right fist from the young Magus.

"Whew…" The young mage felt at ease that his 2 month job was finally over. He raised his finger to his ear piece. "Hey I'm done here Waver, come pick up your boy."

"Is that so? Not bad young Emiya."

"Thanks for the compliment but I'd much rather like to get the hell out of here."

"Ha-ha if you say so, we'll be there in 5 minutes."

**-20 Minutes Later-**

"…Where is he!"

As if the world had felt his anger, a blue plain van just pulled into the fourth floor before coming to a stop in front of the angry enforcer. Three men exit the vehicle, one of which bears a familiar face to Shirou.

"Took you long enough. I even had enough time to chain their arms and legs together."

"Sorry about being late, it's almost like a 'war' out there."

What a terrible pun Shirou thought, "Sarcasm will get you nowhere."

"It's gotten me this **far**."

"I hope you do realize that we are in the middle of nowhere, Lord El-Melloi."

"Oh to be young and naive. Grow a few centimeters and some facial hair and maybe you'll understand some day." Waver shrugged.

Lord Waver Velvet El-Melloi II. A very long time ago, 15 years to be precise, it was once believed that he was once a participant in the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki. Shirou would hear the stories how he was once a self-obsessed, cocky, short temper kid trying to make a statement on how Magi of the new era were more than capable of surpassing the old through hard work and perseverance. A statement that would have seem much more like heresy in the past, but, upon returning to the Clock Tower after the war, he had become a totally different man. Okay, so he's still the same self-obsessed man but now he really puts his money where his mouth is. Instead of just stating his ideals as facts, he has shown everyone in person, himself. Now, the second youngest Lord in the Clock Tower, he is now seen as a driving force of the new era. Although he declares himself as an _Arch Magus_, his skills as one are average at best. Rather his true talents are that in the form as a teacher. Practically all of his apprentices have developed far enough to receive the title of _Grand _and are even helming projects of their own. He was even rewarded the name of El-Melloi although it was said to be a very one sided negotiation. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

"So what was it today? Did the director of Atlas invite you over for tea?"

"That was last week." He brushed his long silky black hair behind him and reached into the pocket of his red coat. Everyone knew that whenever Lord El-Melloi II reached for his cigar case, pulled one out with his teeth, lit the end with a match and inhaled the smoke through the filter, it meant business. "So, that's the doctor huh?" Waver directed his attention to Shirou's rather uncomfortable looking chair.

"Yup, that's him. Dr. Kremlin Steiner." Shirou stood up from off his 'chair' and flipped him over, face up.

Waver reached into the pocket of his gray suit and pulled out a case smaller than his cigar case. Opening it, he pulled out a tiny syringe with a bloody red liquid within it and injected it into the neck vain of the doctor. It is a chemical that restricts the flow of prana without destroying the circuits. "Hey I need somebody." By the time he had called for assistance, the other two men had already moved the six hostiles to the van. A rather husky man lifted Steiner over his shoulder and threw him into the vehicle, returning into the driver's seat and driving off. All in time for Waver to exhale his second breath of smoke.

"Our transportation will be here in a little bit." The Lord casually informed.

"Alright, oh and here." Shirou handed Waver the briefcase he had retrieved from the doctor. "I didn't peek inside, I swear." He crossed his heart.

"You really shouldn't have had, Shirou" Like a mother scolding her child.

"I said I didn't." Like a child being scolded by his mother.

Shirou merely observed Waver as he opened it and started skimming through the documents. It wasn't very long before he was hit by curiosity. "So what's in it?" He asked.

"Strange, it's his theories… why would he hand over his work?"

"What kind of theories?"

Waver sighed, "His work on transmuting the soul. It's actually very detailed." He continued reading.

[Steiner was working on the soul?] "Hey Waver… can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" His attention still with the documents.

"It's Steiner… he said that he knew me. Do you know anything about that?"

"Well he should. He was one of the few who had 'studied' you."

"Wait…" Shirou wasn't quite sure he understood. "You're telling me he was one of the Magi who worked on me… and you didn't tell me!"

"You never asked." He inhaled more smoke into his lungs.

"Like it's some common knowledge I'm supposed to know of!"

"…" Waver remained quiet.

"Whatever…" He grunted.

"I'm sorry." He gave Shirou his undivided attention. "Well it's true, he was present during your therapy. It's actually because of him we learned so much about you and your unique gift… but it's also because of you that the knowledge he gained made him the way he is now. "He inserted the papers back within the briefcase. "I tried keeping that from you because I thought it'd be better if you never knew. I'm sorry."

"No… I apologize."

Without even realizing, the young Magus had destroyed a life. It was unbearable especially how hard he had worked to save lives in the first place.

It had taken a while but their transport had finally arrived. They received the same treatment as their acquaintances, a piece of crap of a van. The young Lord was pleased with its arrival but Shirou looked rather depressed.

"Hey…" He gripped the young man by his shoulder. Shirou had expected a response such as "You're going to be okay" or "It's not your fault." What he had gotten instead was-

"Let's get the hell out of here."

Shirou laughed. "Please!"

They both entered the van and strapped on the seatbelts before the driver drove off. It drove downwards in a circle three times before finally exiting the structure. Shirou rested his head against the window as Waver chucked his finished cigar out the window. Both were tired, both wanted to return home. But as Shirou rested his head, he caught glimpse of the outside world. The city was ravaged; buildings were falling apart, children scavenging for crumbs and corpses atop of one another. He wished he could remain and aid them to the best of his ability but he was incapable of doing so. After all, his soul now belonged to the devil.

He could only imagine their pain and sufferings. He could only imagine their screams and despairs. He could only imagine his past. He closed his eyes and had once more dozed off into the dream world he has grown accustomed to. The world where he is nothing but a ghost.

* * *

**MrDukeDumas: **Howdy guys. I apologize for how short this chapter is and how long it's taken me to update. This was originally meant to be longer but I decided to cut and save it for the next chapter. This was more of an introduction chapter so sorry if it felt like an info dump. I will introduce a lot more characters next chapter, familiar and new, so be prepared.

As for the battles I'm going for not just something amazing and appealing like FSN was but also for something smart and cunning like FZ.

Anyways thanks for reading and if you had enjoyed this, I promise to update soon. This is only just the beginning but I promise to really take you on a journey unlike anything that's out as of right now. So stay tuned for that!


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